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Low-Flow Faucets and Showerheads: An Easy Way to Save Water and Money

It’s not just water that goes down the drain when you shower, do the laundry or wash dishes—you can lose quite a bit of money that way, too. Most homeowners here in the Monmouth County area are surprised to learn how much money they can save on monthly utilities by going “low flow” with low-flow faucets and showerheads.

Using low-flow faucets, aerators and showerheads can save you lots of money on water itself –and on water heating–long term. Saving water and energy is also good for the environment in our increasingly drought-prone world. You can also conserve water by promptly fixing leaks, and purchasing energy-efficient appliances like dishwashers and clothes washers. Here are some tips to help you get started on your low-flow household:

Low-flow showerheads: The most efficient showerheads offer a flow rate below 2.5 gpm or gallons per minute. Select an aerating showerhead if you prefer a misting spray, since aerators mix air and water. Select a laminar showerhead if you prefer showering under individual water streams or if you want to fight humidity. Laminar-flow showerheads don’t produce as much steam as aerating models do.

Not sure if you already have low-flow showerheads? Here’s a test: Turn on your shower at the water pressure you typically use and fill a gallon bucket. If the bucket fills in under 20 seconds, you’ll save water and money with a low-flow shower head.

Low-flow faucet aerators: The aerator is the part that screws on to the tip of your household sink faucets and sets the maximum flow rate. New kitchen faucets normally come with aerators that allow a flow rate of 2.2 gpm and aerators that come with bathroom faucets generally allow flow rates of 1.5 to 0.5 gpm.

When purchasing new aerators, choose those that allow a maximum flow rate of 1.0 gpm. Bring the aerator that you’re replacing to the hardware store–to ensure that the replacement you buy will fit properly onto your faucet.

To learn more about water conservation, including low-flow faucets and showerheads, contact the HVAC experts at Aggressive Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Monmouth County, New Jersey and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about low-flow faucets and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.